Travelling Alone

Our friend recently travelled to New Zealand by himself. He had never travelled alone before and he has some wonderful insights about this experience:

Thoughts On Travelling Alone

It seems through life we abhor being alone. We are always trying to fill the void. How many people are in relationships to avoid being by themselves? We bombard ourselves everyday with all sorts of distractions: radio, television and cell phones to avoid being alone with our thoughts.

When I set upon my journey travelling to New Zealand by myself, I was surprised to find out how many people found it repulsive to travel alone to a distant place. I am the first to admit that it is no easy venture when one is not used to doing so.

To explore foreign places by oneself is a difficult thing to do. After all, who wants to be lonely or isolated with their own thoughts? Yet many people do just that and are very successful at travelling by themselves. Companionship is a wonderful thing, but how can we truly understand ourselves unless we experience what it is like to be by ourselves?

Yes, there were times when I yearned for the familiar and wished I was back at home. However, I found that the door opens to wonderful new experiences and personal insights when travelling solo. All I had to do was to walk through that door. I met some truly remarkable people on this journey, people who explored the world by themselves for six months, eight months, or even a year. They offered insights which proved to be of value to me. I have found the experience to be empowering and uplifting.

One particular fellow I met up with on my journey was also touring New Zealand by himself. For him, being alone in the high alpine mountains of New Zealand helped him to discover who he was and to get in touch with his inner self. It is all about exploring the inner self and being alone which provides these opportunities through experiences and periods of contemplation.

For me, my solo journey has been spiritual and insightful. My soul has experienced freedom. I felt truly liberated at times and this is what empowers me. Whether it is being up on a mountain, walking through a foreign city or having dinner by myself, I have got in touch with my inner thoughts. I have found a source of peace that resides within me and an inner strength. At every turn of my travels, there were people I met who, in their own way, each helped me to get in touch with my soul. I have hiked with people, had dinner with others and participated in some truly wonderful conversations.

What I have come to realize through all of this is that I am not alone! Isn’t loneliness a state of mind anyway? When we go with the flow and are open to new experiences, we are never alone!



Beautiful New Zealand Scenery that is perfect for contemplation

Namaskar

Stunning Santorini Sunset

I am a very particular traveler. When I travel to distant places I look for and expect a different experience than what I am used to at home - such as encountering an exotic culture, soaking up a lush landscape, or tasting fantastic food. I would never think to travel to another locale just to witness a sunset. Everyone likes to view a beautiful sunset now and then, but I rationalized that sunsets are just a daily occurrence which happens everywhere throughout the world. They are really nothing very special, I thought.

While traveling in Greece recently, I kept hearing persistent rumours of the incredible sunsets which could be viewed on a particular Greek island. If you’re anything like me, you have heard about all the ‘must-see’ things to take in while traveling. I wanted to find out if viewing a Greek island sunset would provide me with a unique experience while traveling, or if this was just a sunset 'gimmick' to encourage more tourism on the island.

Faster than a tourist buying up souvenirs, I was off to the Greek Island of Santorini, also known as Thira. The well-known white cube dwellings, which appear to be stacked upon one another like shook up sugar cubes, were amazing to experience. This is a culture to which I was not familiar. I was also taken with the sense of energy given off by the island and its peoples. There was indeed a tranquility which took hold of me while I explored the buildings and looked out into the deepness of the ocean of this crescent-shaped island.

I heard talk everywhere of the sunsets being one-of-a kind on Santorini. There was a buzz on the island of people gathering before 8 p.m. to view this mystical phenomena. Not wanting to feel left out, I kept a close eye on my watch and carefully monitored the sky, trying to anticipate what was to come shortly. I planted myself firmly along an ocean-view lookout, among the scrambling stairs and cubed homes. I was not alone, as hundreds of other people also put down temporary roots along the winding paths and viewpoints which hugged the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We must have looked like a large ant colony tunnelling along the cliff-dwelling pathways of this beautiful island.

It was now 8 o’clock. The sky started to turn a brilliant bright orange. The unobstructed views of this gradual, yet overpowering sunset filled the sky. There was perfection here – in the color and shape of the sunset, which lingered in the sky, hanging for what seemed like forever. Everyone around me felt this perfection, as we all stopped in our tracks to appreciate what nature displayed before us. Suddenly, I felt a strange, but wonderful feeling. I was connected with every person watching the same spiritual event. We were all one, sharing in this experience. I felt a sense of gratitude that I was able to experience this sunset, as this has become one of the most enduring memories I have of my trip. It taught me about how we are all interconnected in this world, even if we just experience this feeling for a brief moment in time, for something common which exists everyday, like a sunset.

Incredible 'sugar cube' buildings hugging the cliffs of Fira, a town on the island of Santorini

Namaskar

Synchronicities- Just a Coincidence? Not a chance!

Sometimes I hear people say that their life is a mundane daily routine where nothing happens. From that perspective life can seem dull and uninspiring. However, by changing our perceptions we can see so much more. I truly believe that we are all part of something much larger where certain events happen daily that provide us with guidance and meaning. Our seemingly mundane routine can be rife with meaningful events known as synchronicities.

I love synchronicities they warm my heart and I know that I am connected to something larger than the self. The term synchronicity was actually coined by psychologist Carl Jung in describing the strange meaningful "coincidences" that happen to all of us.

A synchronicity is the simultaneous occurrence of related events. Although we like to call these occurrences coincidences they are really not. A coincidence is defined as a series of events in time that appear to be related but have no casual connection. A synchronicity is much more than a mere coincidence it is meaningful to the person who experiences it. They are events that are very much related and provide direction, answers or awe to the person experiencing them.

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to dismiss synchronicities as coincidences or strange occurrences and do not explore the deeper meaning they can hold. If we do explore synchronicities they can be a source of comfort, guidance and spiritual meaning.

Carl Jung likened them to dreams that have symbolic meaning; however, these are synchronistic dreams that we experience in the physical world when we are awake. Some synchronicities are very obvious in their meaning. Others are not so obvious because of the lapse of time between the synchronistic events or because of the subtle nature of them.

Even if I don't understand them they can invoke a feeling of reverence. Still if we are open to receiving them the more that seem to appear. I have found that synchronicities have provided me with guidance and meaning. It is our oneness with the universe and our ability to access our deeper self that is at work. Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious. I also believe that the law of attraction plays a role in manifesting synchronicities. Our deeper self , our connection to the collective unconscious and our thoughts drive the appearance of synchronicities.

I experienced a synchronicity recently when I went out for a lunchtime walk. I was going about my routine when I saw a familiar person and could not remember his name. I asked myself what is his name but I could not come up with it. I forgot about this and several hours later as I walked past a co-worker's office the person's name was announced by her while she was on the phone. The two events are linked and related. The first event is walking past the familiar person and trying to remember his name. The second event is hearing the person's name several hours later. This synchronicity is meaningful because it answered my question of what the person's name is.

When I look back on things, I have noticed that when something significant is going to happen in my life a synchronicity was there as a guidepost or as way of providing answers. Chance meetings and encounters have led to jobs that I have enjoyed. Answers to seemingly impossible questions have appeared in the pages of a book I have randomly opened. There are endless possibilities on how synchronicities manifest; however, they never cease to amaze me.

When we ask our deeper self questions the answers can appear as synchronicities. So pay attention to these events and ask your deeper self to help you recognize them. I believe that they can be used as signposts guiding and directing us on our paths in life. Even if we do not recognize their deeper meaning they can invoke a feeling of connection to a larger whole: our oneness with the universe.

If your interested in reading more about synchronicities a couple of books I found very good and from two different perspectives are:

The Tao of Psychology, Synchronicity and the Self, by Jean Shinoda Bolen.

When God Winks, How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life, by Squire Rushnell.


Namaskar

What is conscious thought?

Conscious thinking what does this mean?

Many people describe themselves as being spiritual. In simple terms, we believe that being spiritual means looking inward to discover your true self and potential.

Conscious thinking is being aware of our thoughts, knowing that they have a direct effect on what we attract into our life. We believe that our thoughts and beliefs create our reality. This is more than just the law of attraction, which is responsible for the things and experiences that come into our lives. We must be conscious of our beliefs as well. Our beliefs create the external circumstances that make up our daily experiences - both positive and negative. Our daily reality is the mirror expression of our core beliefs.

The purpose of this blog is to explore and discuss aspects of conscious thinking and to discover our spiritual side. We would like to encourage discussion on spiritual experiences and what that means to each of us.

We plan to have inspiring articles relating to travel, the law of attraction, conscious thought, and anything else that explores the spiritual side of life.

Continue to explore, discover and realize your place in the world and your true potential!

Namaskar